


Of Some Happy Ending

by Estirose



Category: Schoolhouse Rock
Genre: F/M, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-28 01:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/302130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. Morton is getting Pearl a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Some Happy Ending

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jedi_penguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedi_penguin/gifts).



Looking through the window at the necklace, Mr. Morton sighed. It was a nice gift to give to Pearl on their anniversary - Pearl, who had meant so much to him. But Mr. Morton didn't want to go inside.

Mr. Morton was a shy man. Mr. Morton blushed whenever someone said something flattering to him. In fact, Mr. Morton had blushed when he'd even thought that he wanted to date Pearl. He was scared that the English teacher wouldn't like his poetry and would tear it up. The fact that she'd liked it had caused him to faint!

So, Mr. Morton stared more at the necklace, thinking of how much his wife Pearl would like it. Mr. Morton thought of the look on her face when she took it out of its box. And Mr. Morton thought of what would happen the evening after. Mr. Morton nearly fainted again.

But first, he had to go inside. And jewelry stores were scary places. Jewelry stores had high-class people in them that would surely laugh when he came in. Mr. Morton was afraid that they'd kick him out of the store. Or call him stupid.

So, he just looked at the necklace, thought of it around Pearl's neck. Thought of how nice it would be to do something nice for her. But that required going inside. He took a deep breath, and another deep breath, like the doctor had told him. The doctor, the one that Pearl had made him see when he had problems, had told him that breathing deeply, in and out, in and out, would help him being scared.

He put his hand up to touch the glass. It was cold. He was cold. The world was cold, because he was cold.

Mr. Morton forced himself to think of how warm it would be inside. But his warm, cozy home, and his warm cozy wife were more comforting than walking inside.

Somehow he had to do this for warm, cozy, sweet Pearl, who had walked into his home and his heart and proposed to him. He made one step. Two steps. Forced himself to open the stiff door.

"Can I help you, sir?" A young voice asked. She was dressed in a turtleneck. She was smiling warmly.

"I-I'd like to see…" The words failed him. They always would. They were never good enough. So, he pointed in the direction of the necklace that he thought would be so beautiful around Pearl's neck.

"What, sir?" The girl was wearing earrings. Had a nice watch on. Probably would laugh any minute now.

"Um. That necklace in the window. I'd like to buy it." The words came out in a rush. He was sure he could run any moment.

"Oh certainly." She smiled at him. He knew that she was probably watching him to see if he did something stupid. "Let me see which that is, and I'll have you take a look, see if it's what you want."

She brushed by him, and he hoped she didn't feel him shake.

"It's a good selection, sir," she said, holding the necklace that would look good on Pearl's neck. It sat invitingly in her manicured hands. "Not very expensive, either." She held it out, but firmly kept a hold as if sure that he would take off with it. Which Mr. Morton wouldn't do, but he was sure she was thinking it. Thief, lowlife, scum. He could feel her judgment even as she smiled.

"H-how much is it?" he managed. She named a sum, expensive. Mr. Morton thought about it. Thought again. But he was sure that if he paid for it, then she could wrap it up, he could go away. Back home, back to the cat, back to his wife. Back to where he didn't have to worry. "I'll take it."

And he paid her. She wrapped it up. The box was beautiful.

"Here you go, sir. Have a nice day!"

Mr. Morton was sure she was snickering even as she handed him the box, though she hid it well. "And you," he said, forcing himself to walk, not run, away. He didn't want her to think he was scared. He didn't want her to think he was hiding something.  
But as he walked towards the bus stop, the bus stop that was farther away than he thought, he found himself hurrying up. Because he wanted to get home.

And the bus came. The bus was nice, dependable, and he knew the driver. It didn't bother him. He took the bus home, home to his nice place, his cat, his wife who was reading a mystery of hers.

Pearl looked up. Put her mystery down. "Humbert," she asked, "Did you go shopping?" He thought of how easy it would have been for her. Pearl was brave. Pearl was bold. Pearl would have gotten the necklace without breaking a sweat.

"Um, yes." He fumbled in the bag. Fumbled like he'd never fumbled before. "I… I got you this."

He pulled out the box with Pearl's necklace. Watched her eyes gleam as she opened it. "Oh, Humbert! It's beautiful." She enveloped him in a great big hug, a hug that left him gasping. "I love it. Help me put it on."

He nearly dropped the necklace, the precious necklace, but soon it was around her neck. And it looked as beautiful as he thought it would. She admired herself in the mirror. She admired herself for a long time.

"I went to the jewelers," he said. "I saw it, I thought you'd like it."

She smiled. "Thank you, Humbert," she said. And she smiled even more, as if realizing how hard it had been for him. It had been an adventure, after all.

But he realized it had been worth it. Been worth the trouble. Been worth the fright. Been worth the girl laughing inwardly at him. Because Pearl was smiling, and Pearl loved him, and the cat was sitting on his foot, and her smile let him know that all was right with the world.


End file.
